1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer devices and systems, and more particularly to methods and apparatus facilitating and expanding computer and computer system connectivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
As computer systems have grown larger, faster, and more reliable, so too have typical users grown more sophisticated, more numerous, and more demanding. Computer systems, tools, and capabilities have realized dramatic advances in the constant struggle to meet the growing needs and desires of the evolving “typical” computer user. One example of a dramatic advance is the capacity of a computer system to power and process a plurality of both discrete and integrated devices exploiting the computational and logical functions of computer systems from basic to advanced. Specific systems continue to evolve for specialized use ranging from individual desktop systems, to networked workstations, to network servers, cluster servers and beyond. Applications demand more and faster resources to manage, produce, and process data at individual systems, at work stations, across networks, and across the World Wide Web. Often, resource is required beyond a basic computer system to such peripheral devices as supplemental hard disk drives, high volume storage media, CD-RW devices, DVD read and record devices, standard and specialized printers, scanners, digital video and photographic processors, and the like.
One way to increase the number of discrete and integrated devices available to a computer is to increase the connectivity of the computer. In general, connectivity refers to the capability of a computer system to access and utilize multiple peripheral devices for processing and managing data in multiple formats. Two aspects of connectivity that can both limit and enable the connectivity of a computer or computer system are the capacity of the computer or computer system to access and utilize multiple peripheral devices, and the speed at which the computer or computer system can process and manage data in multiple formats.
Computer systems typically provide various options for connecting to and utilizing peripheral devices. One method to increase connectivity of computer systems is configuration with expansion slots capable of receiving a variety of circuit boards that have various functions. Among the type of circuit boards which may be inserted include network interface cards (NICs) which allow the computer to connect to a network, and host adapters which allow computer systems to be configured with one or more local peripheral devices. Once peripheral devices are connected to the host adapter and appropriately configured, the peripheral devices are integrated into the computer system.
Another increasingly popular option for increasing the connectivity of computer systems is a Universal Serial Bus (USB). The USB is rapidly becoming the most common interface for high-speed data in typical consumer computer systems. USB generally replaces the myriad of serial and parallel connectors found on typical computers with one generally standardized plug and port combination. The advent of the USB ushered out the days of removing a computer case to install a new card and suffering through the complexities of setting and adjusting onboard switches. The USB host controller is integrated into the motherboard, and one or more USB ports can be found on the back, as well as other locations, of most recent computers.
The many advantages of USB include plug and play integration with computer operating systems, the ability to hot swap USB devices, the capacity for a plurality of devices connected through one or more hubs into a single port connection, and the support of high speed data transfer protocols including isochronous and asynchronous protocols. The number of USB devices has exploded, and include keyboards, digitizers, data gloves, digital audio, video, and photographic devices, scanners, printers, CD-RW devices, DVD devices, external hard drives, modems, and new and additional devices regularly being released. For additional information on the capacity, data transfer rates, and general specification of the USB, reference is drawn to Universal Serial Bus Specification, Rev. 1.1, Sep. 23, 1998, and Universal Serial Bus Specification, Rev. 2.0, Apr. 27, 2000. Both specifications are part of the USB Implementers Forum, Inc., and are incorporated herein by reference.
For all of the many benefits and advantages to USB implementation, a deficit has emerged in the design and implementation of the USB connection port or hub through which a plurality of USB devices are connected. Typically, a USB hub is used to provide USB interface with the computer through the one or more USB ports found on the back, as well as other locations, of most recent computers, and power for each of the USB devices connected in accordance with USB standards. A typical configuration includes a USB connector, or uplink, that connects the USB port (on the computer) to the USB hub, and then a plurality of USB peripheral devices are connected one into each of the USB ports provided on the USB hub. The USB hub is constrained to be located within a few meters of the computer to which it is connected, and when multiple USB devices are connected to the USB hub, the USB hub and surroundings rapidly become a snarled tangle of wires, hub, and peripheral devices. Further, when it is desired to determine whether a specific port of the hub is functioning, or whether data is being transmitted through a particular port, such determination is not readily available in typical prior art USB hubs.
In light of the foregoing, what is needed is a USB hub that is configured for easy and efficient implementation in computer systems. The USB hub should be readily expandable to accommodate the needs of the user within the capacity of the system to which it is configured, it should be both functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, and it should be configured to avoid or prevent the tangled snarl of prior art USB hubs to enable ease of use in a plurality of implementations.